The present invention relates to a catalytic process for oxidizing cyclohexanone and/or cyclohexanol to form phenol.
Processes for producing phenol from cyclohexanone and/or cyclohexanol catalytically are known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,580,970 which discloses a catalytic process of this type, the process using a metallic catalyst and being carried out under reducing conditions.
Although such processes are capable of forming phenol from cyclohexanone and/or cyclohexanol, they suffer various disadvantages due to the fact that the process is carried out under reducing conditions and the catalyst is metallic.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new process for catalytically forming phenol from cyclohexanone and/or cyclohexanol which need not be carried out under reducing conditions and which may use a catalyst other than a free metal.